Based on oral teachings of Dezhung Rinpoche
and notes from the biography of LekpaRinpoche by sDe-gzhung A-'jam sprul-sku
Kun-dga' -bstan-pa'i-rgyal-msthan.

Ngawang Lekpa Rinpoche was born in Kham Provence,
Tibet, in the Wood Mouse year of1864, the son of Kunga Trakpa and Lhamo Dronma.
While in the womb his mother dreamtthat her body was a monastery. Again, Lhamo Dronma
had a vision of seeing the protectorCitipati dancing by the cave of Ngawang Shedrup
Gyatso who in turn told her that LekpaRinpoche was the incarnation of Ngor Ewam Ponlop.
Lama Ngawang Shedrup, well versedin the practices of Vajrayogini, taught Lekpa
Rinpoche to read. Citipati appeared because itis a great protector for Lekpa Rinpoche. During
this period of his life although living near aDrikung monastery Rinpoche was always running
away from home trying to reach Tharlammonastery some distance away. At age seven, from
the Ngor Khenchen Dorje Chang KungaTenpa'i Lodro, he received upasaka vows, the
Cause and Path Hevajra initiations and WhiteSarasvati. For the upasaka vows Rinpoche was
given the name Tsultrim Gyaltsen. At this timeNgor Khenchen stated that Tsultrim Gyaltsen's
previous life was that of a tulku of Tharlammonastery. His prior recognition as a Ngor Ewam
Tulku is secondary. This Holy Lama passedaway soon after.

At the age of nine Rinpoche completed the retreats
of White Tara and BhutadamaraVajrapani. In front of Ngawang Shedrup, at the
age of ten, he completely received theinitiation and intsructions of Naro Khachodma.
From the ages of twelve to sixteen hewas looked after by Oumsey Lodro Zangpo and it
was a very difficult period of timefor him. At the age of sixteen in front of the
Khenpo Thutop Wangchug Jamyang TenzinThinley he received the entire Four Lineages
of Mahakala in the two armed form, outer,inner and secret. After completing a three month
retreat accomplishing one-hundred-millionof the short mantra and six-million-four-hundred-thousand
of the long, Rinpoche actuallysaw Mahakala. During the retreat the offering
torma grew thick black hair like thoseof a yak, and in the sun they reflected many
different colours like a rainbow. In theCaturmukha Mahakala history text the growing
of black hair from the torma is a sign ofattaining the siddhis. This is also found in
the biographies of many great lamas. The FourLineages of Mahakala are from [1] Vajrasana,
[2] Gayadhara, [3] Mal Lotsawa, and[4] Kashmiri Pandita Shakyashri. From Khenpo
Thutop Wangchug he also received thevery extensive initiation and instructions of
Naro Kachodma, the scriptuarl reading for theCollected Works of Morchen, Yogini, and the initiation
of Citipati, etc.

At the age of eighteen, after seeing animals being
slaughtered, he became vegetarian accompaniedby a life long fondness for rock candy. Travelling
to Ngor Ewam Choden Monastery, he stayedfor two years, receiving from Khangsar Khenpo
Chetsun Ngawang Lodro Nyingpo the threepreliminary entrance initiations of Bhutadamara,
Ushnishavijaya and Parnashavari, afterwardshe received the Lamdre Tsogshe, the Pod Ser,
Pod Mar, Thartse Panchen Cho Chod scripturalreadings, and the initiation and instructions
for Shri Caturmukha. As is the custom at Ngor Ewam,during this Lamdre, Rinpoche's recieved Bhikshu
ordination and was given the name NgawangLekpa.

After Ngor, Ngawang Lekpa Rinpoche travelled to
Sakya where he received vinaya instructionfrom Rabjam Sherab Chophel, and the "Three Vows"
of Sakya Pandita in front of the abbot ofLhakang Chenmo Champa Cho Tashi. He received
blessings from Sakya Trizin Kunga Tashi.During the summer he received the Vajramala teaching
together with the scriptural reading.

Again, back at Ngor, in front of the great Kunu
Lama of Ngor, Chogtrul Jamyang SherabGyatso, he received Lamdre in extensive detail;
the "Three Visions," and "Three Tantras"of Ngorchen Konchog Lhundrup and "The Moon's
Rays" of Ngorchen Kunga Zangpo,and "The Sun's Rays" of Tsarchen Losal Gyatso,
the Royal Accomplishment Lineage ofHevajra together with the instructions on Generation
and Completion Stages, along withmany other teachings; the Eight Deity Mahakala
of the Ngor Tradition; the scriptural readingof the Bodhicaryavatara. Lekpa Rinpoche was extremely
popular at Ngor and when timeto return to Kham the Dharmapalas caused him
a knee injury so that he might not go back,also a family dzo was killed.

First visiting the Jowo in Lhasa, Rinpoche returned
home to Tharlam monastery in Kham(when Rinpoche travels long distances he doesn't
wear his robes) and entered into an eightmonth Hevajra retreat. Afterwards, at the age
of twenty-one, went to meet JamyangKhyentse Wangpo. On his way he visited the Drolma
Lhakang (the temple of the TibetanKings daughters). There, he made extensive offerings
of butter lamps, spending all his money,he prayed for her help in his studies and for
reaching enlightenment. Lekpa Rinpoche wasunable to arrange a meeting with Khyentse Rinpoche
but attended five initiations given byhim and was promptly thrown out of all five.
Subsequently he received many teachings fromthe Dzongsar Khenpo Yontan Dondrup; from Minyak
Khenpo Norbu Tenzin he receivedmadhyamika; from Tsering Tashi, the secretary
to Khyentse Rinpoche, he received teachingson grammar, and poetry etc. These Three Khenpos
told Khyentse Rinpoche about NgawangLekpa and after that when Jamgon Kongtrul arrived
to request many teachings Lekpa Rinpochewas permitted to attend. Khyentse Rinpoche remained
in retreat in his home from the ageof forty until the age of seventy-three.

For the purpose of giving Lamdre Ngor Khenpo Rinchen
Dorje visited Gigu Monastery with173 monks. Lekpa Rinpoche taught the 'Mangtri'
and received Lamdre again. At Tharlammonastery Rinpoche entered into an Avalokiteshvara
'Yung Nas' retreat for two hundredconsecutive days without break. For a few years,
due to the demands of many requests for'shapten' and teachings, retreat was impossible.
During this time his father along with manyroot lamas passed away. After this he wished
to do the retreat of Sakya Pandita KungaGyaltsen Guruyoga and went to Khyentse Rinpoche
and obtained instructions. Lekpa Rinpochehad a dream of Lama Nyika Dorje Chang sitting
in the middle of a mandala wearing blackrobes, surrounded by ten more gurus in black
robes. Hearing of this, Nyika Dorje Chang, inreality, to protect from obstacles during the
retreat immediately gave Rinpoche the initiation ofPanjarnatha Mahakala. Rinpoche also had a large
painting of Sakya Pandita made.

Entering into a retreat which lasted from the
age of thirty-seven to fifty-five years old,Lekpa Rinoche's door was sealed up with only
a hole for food to enter through. Sittingin his meditation box he promised to never lay
down. For twelve months he meditatedon impermanence. For Refuge he performed every
prayer, long medium and short,several times for a total of twenty-four sets
of one-hundred-thousand; for prostrations,the source of homage being Sakya Pandita, accompanied
by Sakya Pandita's four-lineprayer, he accomplished forty-one sets of one-hundred-thousand.

"With wide eyes perceiving all things,And compassionately achieving the good of all
beings;Having power performing acts beyond thought.Guru Manjunatha, to your feet I bow my head."

For Vajrasattva, he completed eighteen sets of
one-hundred-thousand and cured 'retreat'digestive problems in the process. For the Guruyoga,
again with Sakya Pandita as the sourceof veneration he accomplished twenty-five sets
of one-hundred-thousand guruyoga prayers;for the mandala offering - ten sets of one-hundred-thousand
'Thirty-Seven Heaped Prayer.'For Mahakala - one hundred sets of one-hundred-thousand
of the short mantra and twenty-twosets of one-hundred-thousand of the long mantra.
For Green Tara - one-hundred sets ofone-hundred-thousand. For Avalokiteshvara - one-hundred-million;
butter lamp offerings -one-hundred-thousand; water offerings - seven-hundred-thousand.
During retreat he never cuthis hair.

During retreat there were many auspicious dreams
and signs. From Lama Nyika he dreamt hewas given a golden statue of Manjushri, symbolizing
his understanding of Lamdre and all theteachings of Sakya, and given Chinese ink so
as to write many commentaries. From NgawangShedrup Gyatso he was given the head bead from
a mala and an eye symbolizing that he wasthe foremost student. One day, taking seven Manjushri
pills, he dreamt he was given a lotusmade of 'tsampa' yellow in colour written all
over with the Manjushri mantra; after eating this hisentire body became written with and filled with
the mantra. Another time, doing prostrations toSakya Pandita, from the mouth on the painting
light came out to fill the entire room. After this heprayed very hard and saw the fingers of the painting
move. Later he could see not only the fingersmove but also the painting smile, enough that
he could see Sakya Pandita's teeth. This happeneda total of three times. One night, Lekpa Rinpoche
dreamt of Lama Namza Ritrupa. This greatlama was said to be Virupa himself and had recited
the long mantra of Hevajra a total of sixty-fivesets of one-hundred-thousand four times. In the
dream, Rinpoche went to his house and was metat the door. Ritrupa invited him in and placed
him on a high throne and all kinds of offerings weremade to him. In waking life, after this dream,
Lekpa Rinpoche always had whatever he needed.This dream occured during the mandala offerings.
He also dreamt of making offerings to a certainVirupa mural at Ngor Ewam; the Virupa became
real and said to him, "my Dharma will not staylong in Tibet." He also had many dreams of the
Five Superior Masters and of Jamyang KhyentseWangpo. Also, Lekpa Rinpoche was able to clearly
visualize all 157 deities of the Hevajra internalbody mandala, and all teachers will say that
virtually nobody can do it perfectly clearly.

After fifteen years the retreat was concluded.
At this time Dezhung Rinpoche was ten yearsold. Lekpa Rinpoche gave the Drup Thab Kuntus
and a year later the Lamdre Lobshe. Afterthat he travelled to Dezhung Monastery, gave
Lamdre and spent several years. He later returnedto Tharlam very wealthy. He set about spending
all the money he had recieved as offerings onthe re-construction Tharlam Monastery. He constructed
a three story high gold Buddha flankedon the right by Sakya Pandita and on the left
by Ngorchen Kunga Zangpo, both of gold andtwo stories high. He gave Lamdre Lopshe nine
times in all, four of them at Deshung Monasterytwenty days travel away. Jamyang Khyentse Chokyi
Lodro received and held the Lamdrelineage of Lekpa Rinpoche along with many other
great Lamas such as Dezhung Ajam, DezhungLungrig Nyima and H.E. Phende Shabdrung Rinpoche.
Lekpa Rinpoche gave the initiation andcomplete teachings of Naro Kachodma twenty-two
times. The initiation and complete teachingsof Mahakala 'Drag Dzong' ten times. The initiations
and complete teachings of the Five mandalasof Mahakala three times. The Nine Deity Vajrabhairava
of the Rwa Tradition and the 'Rwa TseSems' teachings eight times. The Thirteen Deity
Bhairava from the Tsar tradition three times.The White Tara Cintacakra eight times and the
'Drup Thab Kuntus' once. Understand that theseteachings were given in their most detailed on
these auspicious occasions. Lekpa Rinpoche taughtthe entire breadth of Sutra and Tantra. Of his
students five thousand made the promise to reciteone-hundred-million 'mani' mantras in their lives.
To these he gave each a special 'mani' pill. Upuntil the day of Dezhung Rinpoche's passing,
he also having promised, continued to recite five-thousand 'manis' a day. The five greatest historical
Lamas that Lekpa Rinpoche took inspirationfrom were Sakya Pandita, Ngorchen Kunga Zangpo,
Rabjam Kunga Yeshe, Gyalse Thogmedand Milarepa. His favourite sutra text was the
Bodhicaryavatara.

In regards to his passing, Lekpa Rinpoche expressed
the wish to be reborn as a lama of eitherof the four Ngor Ladrangs and continue to help
Sa-Ngor, but further stated that Sa-Ngor lamaswould not stay long in Tibet, so he will go to
Sukhavati instead. To go to Sukhavati, four thingsare required; to meditate on that place; to have
a bodhisattva mind; to give everything away andto actually pray to go there. Lekpa Rinpoche
had many special pills from Khyentse Rinpoche,Kongtrul, etc and of Guru Rinpoche, Manjushri
etc. He mixed all of these into one bowl andprayed to be reborn in the Buddha Realm of Sukhavati
and pass away quickly. He gave theappearance of becoming very sick and moved to
Dezhung Rinpoche's room just outside of themonastery. Dezhung Rinpoche was away at this
time. Lekpa Rinpoche called for his brother anddivided up the pills between himself, his brother,
the two abbots of the monastery and whoeverelse was there. Many others sat outside. A painting
of the Buddha Amitabha was placed in frontof him. With his left hand in meditative equipoise
and the right in the mudra of generosity he recitedone round of 'manis' on the mala then recited
'Hik' and passed away at the age of 78. The bodywas kept for three days, as is Buddhist custom,
and then burnt. Fire rituals of many different deitieswere performed and a stupa was made for his ashes.
His remaining possessions were offeredto the monks of many different monasteries. Many
of his personal religious articles were left toDezhung Rinpoche Lungrig Nyima who had lived
at Lekpa Rinpoche's side from the age of ten.